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IIAA Offers Tips For Safe Holiday Parking

24 November 1999

IIAA Offers Tips For Safe Holiday Parking; Parking Lot Mishaps Produce One in Five Crash Claims

    ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 24 -- Despite the popularity of on-line
shopping, traditional malls will still be as jammed as ever this holiday
season, retailing experts predict, and that means the parking lots will be
too. Unpredictable traffic patterns and preoccupied drivers cause thousands of
parking lot mishaps and cost consumers millions of dollars each year, warns
the Independent Insurance Agents of America (IIAA).
    Parking lot safety is especially important during the holidays. Packed
shopping mall lots are prime territory for careless drivers. And consumers
should be particularly cautious about where they park because parking lots are
also a prime target for thieves, pickpockets, carjackers and vandals. In fact,
it is estimated that nearly 80 percent of crimes at shopping centers and strip
malls occur in the parking lots and garages, including about 750,000 violent
crimes, such as rape and assault, annually, says the U.S. Department of
Justice.
    Parking lot accidents generate as many as one in five automobile crash
claims, according to data from IIAA and the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety. But even that number underestimates the true cost of these mishaps to
consumers, says Madelyn Flannagan, IIAA's assistant vice president of public
affairs. "For every motorist who files a parking lot accident insurance claim,
there is another who pays the repair costs out of his own pocket because he
doesn't have the proper insurance or because he feels it is more affordable
over the long run than paying a higher insurance premium."
    And, adds Flannagan, there is another hidden cost. Surprisingly, many
parking lot mishaps do not involve two drivers -- a study of automobile claims
found that nearly 30% were the result of improper backing, many into parked
vehicles. That increases the likelihood of hit and run incidents and the
chance that you'll be left to pick up the tab.
    How can consumers protect themselves in parking lots this holiday season?
While retailers and parking lot owners have been found liable in the past
because they did not institute proper security measures, according to
Flannagan, "In the end, simple caution is the only real cure to becoming a
victim to parking lot accidents or crime."

    Parking lot safety tips for holiday shoppers:

    *  Watch for cars cutting diagonally across lots, drive slowly and use
       your turn signal.
    *  When backing out of a parking spot, be aware of waiting cars, others
       who are backing out at the same time and motorists who speed through
       lanes.
    *  Beware when mailing those holiday greeting cards. Post office parking
       lots have the highest incidence of accidents due to frequent customer
       turnover.
    *  Don't park between spots, especially in busy lots. You may gain only
       retribution from angry fellow shoppers.
    *  During the day, park away from buildings to reduce the chance of dings
       from car doors or shopping carts and the likelihood of vandalism, but
       avoid secluded areas, especially at night.
    *  Park in well-lit areas. If the lot is inadequately lit, complain to
       management. Retailers and parking lot owners can be and have been held
       liable for personal injury in these cases.
    *  Ask mall security to walk you to your car if you feel you are not safe.
    *  Always roll up your car windows and lock your car doors.
    *  Always have your keys ready when approaching your car and check the
       back seat and under the car before getting in.
    *  Put all shopping bags in your trunk. Do not keep them in the front or
       back seat where they are visible to thieves.
    *  Review your insurance coverage with your agent. Liability coverage
       will protect you if you hit another motorist, collision will cover the
       damage to your car, and comprehensive will insure you for damage by
       vandals or theft of your vehicle.

    This is the first in a series of 1999 holiday safety messages from IIAA.
For additional information, visit the association's consumer web site, located
at http://www.independentagent.com.
    Founded in 1896, IIAA is the nation's oldest and largest national
association of independent insurance agents, representing a network of more
than 300,000 agents and agency employees nationwide.  Its members are small
businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of
insurance companies. Independent agents offer all lines of insurance-property,
casualty, life, health, employee benefit plans and retirement products.